Cationic polymers, including hydroxyethyl cellulose polymers are known to provide softening benefit in laundry detergent compositions. Unfortunately, this softness benefit is often compromised due the interaction of the cationic cellulose polymer with anionic cleaning surfactants present in the laundry detergent composition. Improved cleaning can be achieved by increasing the level of detersive surfactants, however, this is to the detriment of the softening benefit.
There remains a need in the art to provide a laundry detergent composition that provides improved softening benefits but which maintains fabric cleaning benefits during the laundry operation versus laundry detergent compositions comprising cationic cellulose polymers known in the art.
The Inventors surprisingly found that by carefully controlling the ratio of cationic polymer, anionic surfactant and non-ionic surfactant in the detergent composition, they solved the above-mentioned technical problem.